Fulham's Kit Donation

Wednesday 4 September 2013 10:00

The Fulham brand was given a huge boost in both Colombia and the Seychelles over the summer, as the Club donated plenty of kit to organisations from each region.

Academy Under-12s coach Arthur Brammer flew to Cartagena in the South American country (see below video) to visit a local orphanage, armed with a plethora of shirts, shorts, socks and boots, while former Whites midfielder – and current youth team coach – Kevin Betsy was in the Seychelles with his foundation.

“The branding of Fulham in Cartagena is right up there with the top European clubs due to the interest that Hugo Rodallega has brought about,” Arthur said. “Walking around the city in a Fulham top, I was constantly stopped and asked about Fulham by the locals.

“The orphanage has two homes - Calazans for boys aged 9-12 and Madrid for boys aged 12-18. There were 26 boys in total. Some were there due to not having ever had parents and some because their neighbourhood was too dangerous for them due to family involvement in gangs.

“One boy, Jeison, had been on the street for five years since he was seven years old. Who knows what he had gone through in that time but, luckily, the orphanage had a spot for him.

“Fulham also provided football boots that were invaluable. The surface they played on was terrible but the kids would play with bare feet or they would share shoes. What was worse was that opposite was a brand new five-star hotel that was being built, when these kids didn't even have toothbrushes or soap to wash themselves.

“They would be swapping their shoe laces from their school shoes to their running shoes, as they only had one pair of laces, so that they could play football.

“What was fantastic though was their love of life. They were constantly happy and so grateful for whatever they had. They were especially grateful to Fulham and all the support that was offered.”

Meanwhile, Betsy – who made 20 appearances for the Whites during his time at the Club as a player, in addition to winning a handful of caps for the Seychelles having qualified to play for them through his grandparents – travelled to the island with his foundation to provide kit to children in local schools, as well as to The Seychelles Football Federation Academy.

“Many youngsters in schools and at The Seychelles Football Federation Academy will benefit greatly from this donation,” Kevin said. “The picture went in national newspapers and on television after my visit to the local school.

“Fulham are certainly up there in the Seychelles with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea after this positive branding.”